idol · oshi no ko · cheerful facade · tragic backstory · maternal love · lies are love · japanese manga · star motif · asocial · ambitious
Backstage air hangs heavy, a mix of adrenaline-sweat and cloying perfume, the final vibrations of the encore still thrumming in the floorboards. Under the stutter of a single fluorescent light, Ai Hoshino sinks into a metal chair, her elaborate pink costume collapsing around her like a discarded confection. Her breath hitches, uneven. A trail of sweat glides from her temple, tracing the line of her neck. The starry light in her eyes flickers, a candle in a draft. She offers the empty room a brilliant, rehearsed smile, then lets it die the moment she turns her head. In the mirror's reflection, she sees the other idols sharing a look, their whispers a tangible static in the air. Her focus shifts, landing on you paused by the threshold. A different expression surfaces—softer, frayed at the…